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TAG | selling by internet

I am looking for a car detailer in my area. First of all, if you do car detailing in southwest Florida, it would be extremely easy to dominate the first page of Google. Most of the companies don’t have their own websites. There are local listings through the online Yellow Pages, various directories, Facebook and Google plus pages, but not a whole lot of companies with an actual website. That’s opportunity just sitting there. Call me.

But let’s go to the site, which shall remain nameless because it is a pretty site and a lot of work went into it. Let’s approach it from a consumer’s point of view.

Here’s what I am looking for:

Where the detailer is located (or if it’s a mobile detailing business, what their service area is)

What their services are, and I’m specifically looking for a company that will clean/degrease my engine compartment

What their prices are or at least a price range

Let’s start with what’s right:

There’s a video testimonial above the fold which is actually a strong testimonial

Their contact info is in the upper right corner, easy to find.

The copy is pretty good, including information about car washes (in Florida they use recycled water with added chemicals– good to know).

There’s a gallery of cars they have detailed

There’s an information gathering (opt-in) box

Color scheme is striking and attractive

They have a gallery of Before and After shots

They have a testimonial page

They have a “Tell a Friend” button (Really good!)

Here’s what is not working for me:

The video testimonial is centered on the page with a lot of white space around it - kind of floating in nothingness

There’s no page that explains the company’s services

I have to go to the blog link (which is a separate site) to find information about the operators of the service

There’s a weather widget awkwardly placed in the copy

Most of all, there’s no call to action “For more information or to schedule a consultation” is not strong enough

Here’s how this page can be GREAT:

Move the opt-in (Information Gathering) box to the upper right hand side of the page.

Enlarge the font on the contact information

Shift the video box from center to the left and put in a LARGE BUTTON to link to services

Use a larger font overall. I know with some WP Templates, it’s hard to get a decent font size but there are plugins that can change this.

Move the second video testimonial, which is about having regularly scheduled service to the “Services” Page

On the Services Page, I would list out the services and the packages

I would also list out if I have a schedule of days that I hit various towns. This is a mobile service that is 30 miles away from me. Do they come here regularly or would they have to make an expensive trip just for me?

I might also put a “What to Expect” or “How Mobile Detailing Works” for people who are unfamiliar with whether or not they need to supply water, if the car needs to be placed someplace special or prepped in any way, etc.

Put some of the before and after shots on the Home Page

Move the weather widget to the widget column or remove it altogether

A picture of the owners with a happy customer would help make a stronger personal connection

One of the pages has an article on water in the local area – from 2005. The video on the page is about dry wash car cleaning products. Get rid of the article and instead list out a few facts about water shortages and consumption.

As I said, the copy is good, but the layout is bad. Also, they suffer from my disease – too many words in large paragraphs. The copy needs to be broken up into bullet points with pictures added. (And yes, so does most of the copy on most of my websites. Guilty as h-e-double hockey sticks.)

A bit of weirdness: There is a page on this site that gives away three free ebooks which would be great if they were about keeping your car looking great. But they are on motivation, concentration and internet marketing. Totally inappropriate for this site. I would suggest to the owners that they put together an informative ebook on car care – Tips and Tricks from Pro Detailers, for example.

The main problem with this site is that it doesn’t address what a buyer is searching for – what do they offer, how does it benefit me and how much does it cost?

Whether you’re putting together a website, a direct mail piece or any ad copy, put yourself in your target market’s shoes. What do they want to know and need to know? Make sure you give them that information. People are looking for solutions. Make sure they know you have a solution that will work for them.